"I cannot climb stairs without pain" - Juan Martin Del Potro details tough reality
ATPThursday, 22 September 2022 at 19:00
Updated at Monday, 03 February 2025 at 13:03
Juan Martin Del Potro played his last match earlier this year in Argentina, but he really wants to compete again.
Del Potro has always been known as a very talented player who was able to trouble even the Big Three. After all, he was the first person to dethrone Roger Federer at the US Open after the Swiss Maestro won five consecutive titles in New York.
Although Del Potro certainly enjoyed playing in front of his home crowd in Buenos Aires, he now reflected that that decision cost him a lot. The Argentinian player spoke to La Nacion.
"The last time I picked up the racket was in Buenos Aires. Later, I did a couple of tests, but no: the truth is that the decision to play in Buenos Aires cost me a lot. And once I did that, and everyone saw the state of things, you know, that was a relief, a turning point in my life."
Del Potro still wants to return to the tennis courts. He's doing every possible and even impossible to make one last comeback. He even went to see a specialist in Switzerland to start a special treatment.
"I recently went to Switzerland to see another doctor. I started another treatment. It was recommended by many tennis players, and so far, I have not even had a positive result."
"Imagine what it’s like after every treatment attempt or surgery, the frustration I can feel when things don’t work out. As usual, I delude myself, I hope, I have faith in every new treatment I try and, when this fails, the blow is hard."
Del Potro can't compete, but the situation is much worse than that. The former US Open champion admitted that he can't even go up the stairs without feeling pain.
"And for three and a half years, despite several surgeries and treatments, it always happened. Today, I can only walk, I do not run on the treadmill, and I cannot climb the stairs without pain. I can’t drive for a long time without stopping to stretch my legs."
Still, the Argentinian player wants to return to the tennis courts. He can't imagine his life without tennis, especially after he has dedicated so much to the sport.
"I can’t psychologically accept a life without tennis. I did not have a gradual transition to the after, I did not prepare, I have no idea what the other athletes did to live this process peacefully. I was number three in the world, then suddenly I broke on my knees and here I am, with nothing."
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